Take Two
by sweetarethediscords
Summary: With the reassembly of Overwatch, long forgotten faces are reunited, old grievances are dug up, and passing daydreams and forgotten promises are bathed in the harsh light of reality. To Dr. Angela Zeigler the letters were one thing, letters could remain in the imagination. But with the reappearance of Genji Shimada they're no longer just just words, they're reality.
1. Chapter 1

I didn't expect to see him here.

I didn't expect to see him again.

The letters were one thing, letters can remain in the imagination. They're just words, they're not reality.

But he's here, and from now on it's real.

* * *

When I had first gotten the call for Overwatch to be re-assembled, I was excited, brimming with the joy that a unified force of good would be present in the world once more. And then I remembered: the trials, the fighting, the endless cycle of fruitless micromanaging, and the corruption… and my stomach turned.

I spent many sleepless nights staring at my tent's ceiling mulling over what to do but it was Winston who convinced me to come back. Convinced me that those who were part of the problem would not be welcomed back into the fold so easily, if at all.

"We'll do it right this time," Winston said, "We will do this right."

* * *

I had forgotten how beautiful the cliffs of Gibraltar were, the sun warm and shimmering off of the ocean, the water just as blue as the sky.

Someone stands beside me, and I turn to see a ghost. A man I last saw with blonde hair fighting for his life, and for the good of humanity. A man I thought dead stood beside me, hair snow white from the years, and face concealed by a red-eyed ventilation mask.

"Jack?" I say, but he doesn't look at me.

"Angela." His voice comes out gruff, harder and altered from the mask.

"I guess I should have known when they didn't find the body." I say, a smile comes to my face and I can feel my eyes water.

"Mm." He grunts, and places a hand on my back, "It's good to see you too."

We stand like that for a while, watching the waves twinkle in the sunlight, barely speaking before we head inside to reunite with the others. To reunite Overwatch.

* * *

We walk through the base towards the lobby outside of the briefing room, and find a gathering of familiar faces laughing and smiling.

Winston laughs the loudest, he always has, but Reinhardt and Torbjörn are right alongside him reeling at the tale the ever animated Tracer tells. A stoic figure, clad in armor draws their attention with a cough, turning towards Jack and I with a smile and pointing at us.

"Oh my god!" Tracer shouts, and in a blink pulls me and Jack into a tight hug. "It's so wonderful to see you!" Tracer pulls away and wipes tears from her cheeks, "This really is like a family reunion."

"It's good to see you too, kid." Jack says,

"Looking worse for the wear Morrison," Reinhardt says, "And you're as beautiful as ever Doctor."

"Thank you Reinhardt, you don't look too bad yourself." I say, "Same goes to you Torb."

"Thank you madam," Torb smiles.

"It's great to see you two." Winston says, "Let me introduce you our newest recruit. You may recognize her-"

"Fareeha," Jack says, and my mind is washed in memories of a young dark haired girl training fiercely alongside her mother. Ana's daughter… who would have thought.

"My call sign is Pharah now." She says, "And I'm honored to be fighting alongside you, Uncle Jack."

"Solider 76. That's my call sign," Jack stiffens and demands, "Pharah." The room goes cold for a moment, the red expressionless glass of Jack's mask seem burrow into Pharah.

"Now, now it's not the time to talk about fighting. We have plenty of time to talk about fighting once the meeting starts." Torb interjects. "Is everyone here yet Winston?"

"We're waiting on one more that I know of." Winston says.

"Well, I reckon ya'll're madder than a wet hen if ya'll're standin' 'round waitn' for me." His voice sends a chill down my spine and my shoulder's tense.

"McCree!" Winston walks over to the cowboy and shakes his hand. "Thank you for coming."

"Thank you for the invitation," McCree tips his hat and Winston turns back to address the rest of us.

"Shall we begin?" He asks, and leads us into the briefing room.

* * *

"I've called to reform Overwatch because the world is in turmoil. Local governments are having trouble keeping up with the onslaught of tragedies and criminal activities that plagued the planet since our disbandment. And with the rise of Talon…"

"Talon is back?" I say, my stomach drops.

"And bigger than ever," Jack grunts.

"You've missed quite a lot while in Afghanistan little lady," McCree smiles at me. I scowl and turn towards Winston.

"Gabriel has joined them." Winston says.

"Reaper." Jack corrects. "He's not Gabriel anymore."

"You got that right," McCree adds and my blood boils.

"So we're here to reform and renew, defeat Talon and help the people right?" I say.

"That is the goal," Reinhardt says.

"Then why is he here?" I gesture to McCree. "He has ties to Reaper- and Blackwatch-"

"And that's why you need me." McCree stares me down.

"Need a criminal?" I say.

"Angela," Winston says.

"It's Mercy." I snap. Winston recoils and takes a breath.

"Mercy," He says, "McCree has repented for his past and has dedicated his life to upholding justice. He has proven himself."

"Talon's done some really shady shit, and I want to watch them burn." McCree smirks, "If you knew what I know, you'd want the same thing too."

"Fine." I say and I take a deep breath to calm my nerves. I don't trust him. I don't think I will ever trust him. But as long as I can keep an eye on him, I can work with him. Winston is right. He could be an asset.

"Alright then, let's move on," Winston says, "I've reset the crime scanners to-"

There is a loud bang outside of the room, our heads snap to face the door. The sound of metallic steps grow louder as they inch closer, my blaster is drawn. Everyone else has their weapon aimed at door.

My heart races as the briefing room door slides open.

"Oh. My apologies for not calling ahead."

My heart stops.

"Genji?" Tracer says, "Is it really you?"


	2. Chapter 2

"You gonna have a problem with him joining the team too, Mercy?" McCree snickers.

I don't look at him. My eyes are glued to the Genji's full cybernetic outfit. Not a single part of him looks human, but it's still him in there, I'd know his stance anywhere.

"You're looking more machine than man nowadays." McCree says to him, holstering his revolvers, "Couldn't you have payed your mechanic for a better looking face? Cuz it's still the ugliest damn mug I've ever seen." McCree smiles.

"At least I have the common decency to hid mine, unlike you." Genji's voice is cybernetic but light in tone. He definitely got an upgrade since the last time we spoke, before his computerized voice box was monotone, and incapable of registering emotion.

The rest of the team lets down their guard and greet Genji as he makes his way down the table to the empty seat next to McCree.

My palms are clammy, and my stomach is in knots.

"It is good to see you again," Winston says as he settles back into his seat, "And I'm glad to have you on the team."

"I am glad to be here as well," Genji says, "Master Zenyatta and I have been discussing this reunion with much excitement and hope. He wishes us lucks and wants to help in anyway he can."

"That's amazing!" Tracer says. "With Zenyatta on our side we can't loose!"

"Not so fast," Pharah speaks up, "We haven't even come up with a battle plan yet, how can you be so sure we shall win?"

"I believe Tracer was specking in the general, not the literal, Pharah. Loosen up a little." McCree gives a shit eating grin and Pharaoh stares at him coldly.

"Pharah is still right though. We have no battle plan and are numbers are still too low to make the impact we want to see on this world," Winston says, "Our first mission therefore will be to recruit new members. I will remain here and await the arrival of an old Overwatch member from the Antartica Watchpoint. Torbjörn and Reinhardt will head back to Sweden to recruit any remaining members of the Crusaders. The rest of you will be paired up to investigate reports of heroes who would make excellent additions to the the new Overwatch." Winston swipes through charts on the table top's touch screen, typing furiously and bringing up a hologram profiling a smiling man with a ponytail of thick dreadlocks.

"This guy look familiar to anyone?" Winston says.

"Oh my god! That's Lúcio!" Tracer's face lights up, eyes wide and filled with fireworks, "The Lúcio is joining Overwatch."

"If all goes to plan," Winston smiles, "Yes."

Tracer squeals.

"Just who is this Lúcio?" Reinhardt cuts through Tracer's adorations, "What makes him great enough to carry our mantle?"

"Lúcio Correia dos Santos is a musician who grew up in the slums of Rio de Janeiro and when the Vishkar Corporation took unlawful control, lead his people to revolution utilizing Vishkar's own sonic tech against them." Winston says, "His songs have inspired millions, and even though he is an international superstar, he wants to do more for the world and use the same means that help his people to help others. In other words-"

"He wants to be hero." I say, my heart swells slightly. It was good to see that after all this time the want to be a hero never dies.

"Yes." Winston says, "Pharah and McCree, the two of you will be sent to Numbani to meet with Lúcio, and discuss him going Overwatch. He will be performing so make sure to be on high alert, the crowds will be tremendous."

"Aww…" Tracer pouts, then turns to Pharaoh excitingly, "Wanna trade?"

"No." Pharah says.

"Tracer and Solider," Winston taps on the table's screen, "You're assignment will be Aleksandra Zaryanova, Zarya for short." The profile changes to showcase a very strong woman with brilliant pink har. "Known as the strongest woman in the world, ex-weightlifter turned member of the Russian Defensive Forces to protect her homeland from resurrected hostile omnics."

"She could crush my head with her bicep." Tracer gasps.

"Definitely," Winston says, "Zarya is currently in Russia, training the latest batch of RDF recruits. You are to go to the RDF base and meet with her. She has expressed interest in uniting forces after a recent incident."

"Incident?" Solider asks.

"She didn't specify." Winston says, "But she did say it was relevant to our interests."

"Understood." Solider says.

"Mercy and Genji." Winston says. I swallow and try to keep my eyes focused on the hologram. The portrait of a cheerful girl with pink cat whiskers painted on her face appears. "Hana Song, username ."

"Username?" I ask.

"Hana was recruited by MEKA as part of their gamer recruitment program. She was once of the top pro-gamers in the world operating under the username and is now one of the fiercest mech operators in the South Korean army. She's even got sponsors." Winston says.

"Neat!" Tracer chimes.

"Having her as part of our team would be instrumental to re-integrating a positive image of Overwatch to the public. She's currently in Seoul preparing to host a charity gaming livestream this weekend. I have contacted her agent and set up a meeting for you tomorrow evening." Winston says.

"So I guess we're leaving now." Genji says, and Winston nods.

"Everyone is. Sorry for the short notice. There is an autopilot ship ready for each of you in the hanger, make sure to gather you gear and take these." Winston presses a button and out pops a drawer in front of each of us, holding a high tech wrist bracer and an ear piece. "Each bracer will give you access to the current overwatch databases and the ear piece will allow you to communicate both with HQ and/or your partner discreetly. I wish you all good luck."

I slip the bracer on and it fits wonderfully. It lights up when it touches my skin displaying the Overwatch emblem and reading "Welcome, Mercy.". The earpiece is light in my ear.

Everyone makes their way out of the briefing room, eventually leaving just me, Winston, and Genji. Before Winston stands to leave I get up quickly.

"I'll go grab my things and meet you in the hangar," I spit out and rapidly leave the room.

* * *

My footsteps are quick and heavy.

Why am I nervous? I'm being absolutely childish. Genji and I have been on great terms for a really long time. And we haven't seen each other in a really long time. I should be happy to see him, we can catch up now… we could talk about things now…

My stomach churns, and I'm in a cold sweat.

I don't think I want to talk about things.

I make my way outside to one of the walkways with an open view of the sea, and rest heavily on the barricade. The warmth of the sun and salty breeze brush over me. I breathe in deeply, practicing a soft meditation to help calm my thoughts.

 _What are you afraid of?_

The question keeps echoing in my mind. I have seen a thousand horrors and have faced them without fear, but I know that none of those experiences could ease this terror. This wasn't something where the lines of good and evil were defined, this wasn't something I could fix with with knowledge and skill.

I kept breathing. Calming down my mind.

"Are you ready to go?"

My thoughts stop dead. I turn to see him beside me, looking down with that expressionless mask of his. I half-smile.

"Let's go."


	3. Chapter 3

Hour 1

It's just him and I, sitting in the cabin of the ship. The ships engine humming in the background is the only sound.

"It's nice to see you again." Genji says.

"Nice to see you as well." I say, "You look well. Shinier than the last time I saw you."

He laughs, "That is true."

"I guess Master Zenyatta really did help." I say.

"Yes." He says.

The humming takes over again.

"How was Afghanistan going?" Genji asks.

"As goods as one can expect in a war torn country." I say, "Though we did establish some good field hospitals, so it's helping. People are healing."

"You were always good at that." He says, I look at him and smile. The mask looks back, empty. I look away, eyes darting around the ship, pretending to study it.

"You're nervous." Genji leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Why?"

"I'm not nervous." I look him in the mask and protest.

"You're pulling at hangnails. You pulled at your hangnails during the trials, and you were nervous then." He says. I untangle my hands from each other, stiffly placing them at my side. He laughs.

"Oh, stop it." I say.

"You haven't answered my question. Why are you nervous?" he persists.

I don't want to talk about things.

"There's a lot riding on this. I don't want this to be the prelude to the end. I don't want what happened last timed to happen again." I say, and my hands start picking at my hangnails again.

"A lot of bad came out of the past," Genji leans back in his seat, "But so did a lot of good. We're back together are we not?"

My heart stops. "Y-yes."

"Back together and wiser than before." He says, "The universe has a reason for this. Overwatch has been called for a purpose. We will not fail this time."

My heart starts up again. Slower this time, weighed down by… disappointment. Sadness.

I nod, my smile slowly slips away, and I turn around to look out the window.

Why am I sad?

* * *

Hour 2

I sit in the window, looking at the sea of clouds passing by, and flipping through the Overwatch database.

All the data possible about Hana Song is at my fingertips. Gamer scores, social media posts, birth certificate, military records. Pages upon pages of accolades, impressive for a nineteen year-old.

"She has successfully lead over fifty MEKA operations." I say as Genji walks out of the cockpit. "And even livestreams her battles."

"That is impressive." He stands behind me, looking over my shoulder at my bracer's display.

"It's kind of morbid don't you think?" I say. One of her archived livestreams plays. She is mowing down hundreds of omnics at a breakneck pace, even going so far as to abandon her mech in self-destruct mode and taking on omnics head on.

"She's fierce." Genji says.

"She's reckless." I say, "If she's lucky she held out until her mech respawned. I'll have to keep an eye on her in combat, she's going to be so much work."

"Was I that much work?" He asks. I pause the video and look back at him. The knots in my stomach haven't loosened, but they haven't tightened either.

"Yes." I turn back to my bracer.

"W-What?" He stammers, the first human response he has had thus far.

"You were always a handful," I say, "Always rushing in to battle at breakneck speeds. I had to make the Guardian Angel just to keep up with you. Probably would have been easier to reprogram your speed boosters."

"But you didn't." Genji says.

"I didn't." I say, "You loved moving fast."

He laughs, "I take things much slower now."

"G-good to know," My heart races.

* * *

Hour 3

We sit on either side of the cabin. Genji mediates. I'm diving deep into the Overwatch databases. We don't speak.

I get a little sadder, my stomach knots a little more.

* * *

Hour 4

Genji is still mediating. I'm ten pages deep in a debriefing about the Blackwatch hiring of Moira O'Deorain:

 **Let the record show that the hiring of Moira O'Deorain was approved by Gabriel Reyes under the roster of Blackwatch without the knowledge and consent of Overwatch. Let the record also show that the hiring of Moira O'Deorain was unsupported by fellow Blackwatch operatives Genji Shimada and Jesse McCree. It can be logically assumed that Gabriel Reyes hired Moria O'Deorain for his own personal gain rather than the betterment of Blackwatch of a whole.**

My chest loosens a bit and my stomach doesn't feel as heavy. I look at Genji glistening in the sunlight, peaceful, and smile.

I put my bracer down and lean back in my seat.

* * *

Hour 8

I dream of cherry blossoms floating in the air, the warmth of the midday sun, and the sound of his heart beat. It was a good day for him, for us. Rare, too far and few. A smile rests on his lips and I reach up tor trace them with my finger tips. They're soft and he grabs my hand in his and kisses it. His deep brown eyes look down at me.

"What?" He asks.

"I missed you." I say, "I missed us."


	4. Chapter 4

I wake up a few hours later to the feel of cold metal on my cheek.

"Angela?" Genji says, and I open my eyes to find him leaning over me, his hand on my cheek. My skin turns hot and my heart races.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

"Nothing." His hand leaves my face and he stands up straight, "You were just talking in your sleep."

I sit up and can feel the blush blooming in my cheeks. "Must have been some dream I was having."

"Must have been." He replies and make his way back to his seat. We sit in silence once again.

"Is everything okay between us?" He asks after a while of stewing in the thick silent tension.

"Y-yes," I respond, caught off guard, "Why do you ask?"

"We've been on this ship for 12 hours and we have yet to say more than 50 words to each other." He says, "We used to talk constantly."

"I-" My mind is spiraling in an attempt to find the right words. "It's just been a while since we've seen each other. We're not as used to being near each other as we used to be."

"I guess it has been sometime since we've seen each other." Genji says. "We've grown."

"We're different people now." I says, "The years have changed us, as time is supposed to do."

Genji softly nods. "But I am glad to see you, regardless of how we've changed."

"I'm glad to see you too." I say. I feel a sudden surge of courage and go to say something more but I'm interrupted by the voice of Athena broadcasting over the ship's speakers.

"10 minutes until we land in Seoul. Prepare to disembark."

* * *

As we disembark onto the helipad a man in a sharp suit is waiting for us.

"Genji and Mercy?" He asks.

"Yes," I reply, "Are you our contact to reach Miss Song?"

"Yes, please follow me." He says, "Miss Song is waiting in the entertainment room."

He leads us off the roof into an elevator, we begin our descent down."

"I trust that your trip went well?" The man asks.

"It was a quiet ride," Genji responds. I don't know if it's the voice modulator but I swear his town is bitter.

"Better quiet than turbulent," The man says, and the elevator bell rings.

The door opens to reveal a room lined with television screens. A small girl sits in the middle of the room, sprawled out on a plush sofa, munching on cheese doodles enthusiastically.

"Look at that headshot!" She shouts in awe, jumping from her seat and gaping at one of the larger screens in disbelief. "How did he do that?" She turns back around to rummage in her sofa for the remote, and spots us.

"Miss Song, Mercy and Genji from Overwatch have arrived." The man says. A smile shines on Hana's face as she finds the remote and pauses every screen.

"Thanks Junsu!" She says. Junsu bows and heads back into the elevator leaving us with Hana. She runs over to us excitedly, pulling Genji and I into a tight hug. "It's so wonderful to meet you!"

"It's nice to meet you too, Miss Song." Genji says, I'm having too much trouble breathing to say anything. She let's go of her death grip and I can breath again.

"Please call me !" She says, "Everyone else does."

"Alright, ." I say, "You know why we're here correct?"

"Yup," She vaults back over the sofa and signals for us to follow her. "Heroes assembling more heroes. I'm honored, truly." The two of us sit stiffly beside her on the sofa. Hana already resumed her laid back position diving deep into her bag of cheese doodles.

"So you'll join our team?" Genji asks.

"Nope." She says. Genji and I look at each other, a look of disbelief on my face and a stoic look from his metallic mask.

"Excuse me. Did you just say nope?" I ask.

"I did." Hana says, "I'm sorry I under contract with the military. I can't join or I'd be tried for treason or something."

"Then why did you ask us to come?" I ask.

"I'm a huge fans of yours. Overwatch was amazing back in it's heyday. I had a poster with the two of you hanging on my wall for the longest time." She says.

"So you just wanted us to come here so you could meet us?" I'm shocked, and angry, but I don't let it show in my voice.

"And to invite you to my charity stream. It's gonna be epic, everyone's gonna be there, and adding you too the list would be great for your mission!" Hana cheers.

"Do you mind if we excuse ourselves?" I gesture to Genji and we both stand.

"Sure." Hana un pauses the tv, "The guest suites are on floor 31, just let me know and I'll summon Junsu to come show you around."

"Thank you," Genji says as we make our way towards the back of the room, out of ear shot of Hana. I dial Winston on the wrist bracer immediately.


End file.
